Hokke

I believe the term masterpiece can only applied by the smith as a personal designation, as in, this is MY masterpiece. However, because of humility and the wish not to be prideful, it's not a term you will likely find in recorded history. Calling something a masterpiece is very close to calling something perfect. It's a term that is too relative and has no official scale. People other the smith may apply these labels, but it's generally for two reasons. Personal admiration, or to aid in a sale.

Well, thats lots of words to say you don’t like the idea of someone being buried with their nihonto. Unfortunately, since there is ZERO you can do to prevent it, hence relying on morality and not law, turns out, it IS acceptable. I agree, this is not up for debate. However, if you are by some authority, stating that it is a RULE of this forum that nihonto MUST be passed on, whether it be through sale or gift, as a prerequisite for participation here, then by all means pull your strings and let’s see that disclosure when people create an account. Otherwise, how about refraining from pulling a productive thread into the weeds. All that said, it is not my choice to be buried with my possessions, arrangements were made years ago, but I, like many others will not be told what I must do with my property, based on someone else’s morals. You may think this is the same issue as someone who wants to DIY a polish, but it’s not. The key difference is “intent to destroy”.

Im not sure why you have made such an assumption, unless it was in an effort to lash out at someone with whom you may disagree. Invoking the name of a past member whose participation was selfish and destructive, seems to serve no purpose. What I do know is this: preservation and study of nihonto is personal. Once you own an item, you can do with it as you please. If your assertion is that because one individual chooses to remand their collection to the deep, that somehow this will influence others to do the same, is a stretch to say the least, but then you already know that. You can view it how ever you wish of course, but accusing members of seeking attention based on nothing but your personal feelings, is hardly the way to maintain positive decorum here.

Agreed, its certainly the most optimal choice.

Because, in general, people dont have the luxury of knowing when their time is up. People spend good money on their collectibles and want to enjoy them for as long as possible. If I remember from your previous comments, you still own collectibles and yet you could be hit by a bus tomorrow which means someone else would likely be "burdened" with your possessions. All that said, I think the relevant points have been made by many, starting with Bruce. If you have collectables, make notes on their cost and potential value. Leave the names of friends who can sell them online or trusted dealers. This way, it's not a burden to anyone, but only a phone call away from disposition.

Perhaps this is because there is no real way to ensure anything. Once you are gone, you're gone and they can do as they wish. The only thing one can do is trust in the relationships they have forged and hope you chose wisely.

I appreciate your candor, I of course was not expecting you to air your actual fees, but now that you have, $125/h seems extraordinarily reasonable in today's market for the amount of knowledge and experience you bring. Also serves to infuriate those like myself who have paid mechanics and other contractors, similar rates, for subpar knowledge and services. Such is life.....

Greetings Markus, im curious, do you have a flat rate per day, or do you charge per item? I imagine some items require more research than others, but if the collection is large enough, a per diem seems more logical.

This is true, however, the inflation rate doesn't always correspond to collectables as it does to other assets. As for knowing if something will gain value......that requires a crystal ball and a gypsy

It isn't the number of pieces you have, but the values. That said, insurance is generally for total loss. For most people this is fire or theft. If fire is a concern more than theft, gun safes can be purchased very inexpensively because fire resistance materials are relatively simple and cheap. If theft is a concern, TL and higher rated safes will give both fire and theft security. So if you live in a high crime area or like to brag to people near you about your collection, you may want to look into insurance or a TL+ safe. All that said, as Adam mentioned, insurance is easy to get and often times is relatively cheap. Just remember that your annual premium devalues your items over time. What I mean by that is, if you have a $50k item and pay $1k per year to insure it, after ten years you have $60k invested in the item, not $50k.

Smart thinking on your part. So often items are left without any information either because the death is unexpected or just because the owner doesn't take the time to make notes. Then, the person dies, the heir has NO idea who to go to and what things are worth, so they sometimes unknowingly get pennies on the dollar. Estate planning is crucial......but remember, your wishes in death are only as good as the person whom you choose to carry them out, so choose wisely.

I see what you are saying, however, do you have reason to believe it was AOI who made the modifications? If the koshirae was assembled before it was tendered to AOI, I dont see why it would be a negative on them as a dealer. I guess there is something to said of a dealer who doesn't disclose a frankenstein koshirae, perhaps that is the source of your ire?

As someone who has dealt with sales of other types of collectables, IME they are dispersed like any other property. Some collections may be split up among several heirs, particularly if these heirs have interest in specific pieces. If none of the heirs are interested in curating the collection further, most of the time it will end in auction or sold to private entities who have made contact privately. Some collections are left to people outside the family to act as brokers, selling the items and depositing the sales into a trust, minus a commission. Once all the items have been sold, the revenue from the collection is dispersed equally amongst those specifically named. Lastly, we have collections that are passed to individuals who do intend to keep them as heirlooms and they are never seen until *that* person expires and the cycle starts all over again. Autos, arms, firearms, jewelry, art, real estate........all the same

Because they lengthened the description by repeating the same information?

I like the contrast on that, thanks for posting it.

Absolutely, post some pics if you get a chance, I’d be interested to see them.

Ah, ok, that would make more sense. Hammering iron around amber is a butt clenching experience I would choose to avoid. Still it would need to be a relative close fit as glue, particularly then, couldn’t have been very malleable.

Very nice, thanks for posting those Ray.

Wow, thanks for posting that Piers……those amber cabs look bezel set, that would have been quite the chore in iron with amber being relatively brittle. *If* you ever get the opportunity and are feeling generous, I’d love to see a close up of one of the cabs.

Would love to see it if you want to post it. What is the age of the tsuba and from what is it made?

That would be great, let me know what you find. You betcha, it’s the best way to learn. Just like with college, the books only get you base and technical understanding, the majority is experience.

Found a few examples, some with raw stones set as mentioned by others and some with enamel work, but alas none with faceted gems…..interesting works though

Here's a pic of the set I referenced above......I originally intended to have gems all the way around randomly, but after placing these sapphires, I wasn't as enthusiastic about the final look. Still plan on trying on a tsuba, just haven't found the right motif to accent.

Interesting, Id like to know how those stones are set. Even more curious now, as setting rounded cabochon style stones can be more difficult than setting gems, unless they were using some kind of adhesive, which seems unlikely.

Does anyone know if tosogu were ever adorned with jewels of any kind? I have looked but couldn't find any examples. Examples of diamond faceting have been around since the 15c. While Japan is not a notable producer of gems, the Portuguese certainly had had access to gems and could have made them available. I thought there would be at least one example for a tsuba owned by a daimyo or another high ranking imperial member where this design was employed. With the amount of pierced designs you find in tsuba, it also would have been relatively simple to do. About 20 years ago on a whim, I set some sapphires in f/k made by Patrick Hastings. They looked ok, but would have looked much better in tsuba, but I never got around to it......